Fenech Tabs Lucas Browne To Knock Rudenko Out Early

LEGENDARY Hall of Famer Jeff Fenech believes Lucas "Big Daddy" Browne can win a world title in as little as six months.

Australia has never produced a heavyweight champion of the world, but Fenech says he's seen enough in the few weeks he's been training Browne to suggest that the 35-year-old has all the ingredients.

Browne faces unbeaten Ukrainian Andriy Rudenko for the WBC's EPBC and WBA Inter-Continental crowns in Wolverhampton, England on Friday night and victory should push him closer to a showdown with either Bermane Stiverne or Ruslan Chagaev.

"The WBC and WBA champions are both beatable. If Lucas keeps getting the best sparring then he could be fighting for a world title in six months," Fenech, who himself won world honours in three weight divisions, said.

"Preparation is everything and as long as he gets the right camp, he'll be ready.

"Australia has never had a world champion in the heavyweight division and I think for Lucas to become the first would be an incredible thing. Alex Leapai went over to Germany to fight Klitschko and he had tremendous support but Lucas can go a step further than that.

"I think if people knew Lucas's story, they would be amazed. When people learn how old he was when he started as a novice and how fast he's come on, I think his story will capture all Australians."

In the short time they have been together, Fenech has set about adding different dimensions to Browne's game and he feels they will be the difference against Rudenko this week.

Fenech said: "I watched Lucas about a year ago and I was really excited, but he was throwing just one punch at a time. Since he's been with me we've been working on getting him punching in combinations. If he can do that in this fight, I think he'll win it early.

"I trained Mike Tyson and I know it's hard to make comparisons, but holding the pads for Lucas hurt me more than Tyson did. Tyson was sharp and a great puncher. Lucas is really heavy handed and if he uses that power with combinations, then he'll win by knockout in the first few rounds."

Lucas Browne v Andriy Rudenko is the chief supporting contest to Frankie Gavin's European welterweight title clash with Leonard Bungu. The show is being televised live and exclusively by BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD and Virgin 546).